Charles fred hodsdon



(No Model.) v

C. F. HODSDON.

BALLoT BOL Patented July 5, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FREDA I-IODSDON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

\ BALLoT-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,283, dated July 5,1892. -Application filed January 18, 1892. Serial No. 418,366. (Nomodel.)

To all whom` it may concern:

Be it known th atLCHAELEs FEED I-IoDsDoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and State of New York, have invented anImprovement in Ballot-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

In many instances, especially Where the secret ballot is made use of,the ballot is of con-v siderable size and is sometimes termed ablanket-ballot, and this when folded up cannot be inserted into theballot-box except through a slot of considerable size, and underall,circumstances,\vhether the slot in the ballot-box is large or small,it is desirable that such slot shall be permanently closed as soon asthe voting has terminated, in order that the contents of the box may notbe tampered with and the box may be turned over to the proper canvassersWithout being opened. In some instances efforts have been made to closethe slot in the ballot-box; but it required the box to be unlockedbefore this could be done. Thereby the risk of the ballots beingtamperedwith was increased rather than lessened.

The present invention is made for easily and rapidly closing the slot inthe ballot-box by a movable cap and securing the same by a springlocking device, to which access cannot be obtained until the ballot-boxis opened. The consequence is that the Vparty receiving the votes canclose the slot when the voting has terminated and access to the ballotsis effectually prevented until the box has been opened by the properparties havinga key to the same.

In the drawings, Figure lvis a perspective View representing an ordinaryballot box. Fig. 2 is a section through the slot in the lidlongitudinally and in a magnified size. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan ofthe cap or cover to be applied to the slot in the ballot-box. Fig. 4 isa section, and Fig. 5.is an inverted p1an,of a modification iu thelocking device. Fig. 6 shows the latch as fitted to slide horizontally;and Fig. 7 is a cross-section at the line a: Fig. 2.

' The ballot-box is to be of anydesired character. Usually it is ofWood,With a bottom portion A and a lid B,Which are properly securedtogether and locked by` any suitable lock, such as represented at C, andthe slit through which the ballots are introduced is usually at the topof the box. I have shown the same at D. Where the slot D is of largesize, the edges thereof are liable to become injured or broken,especially when the ballot-box is of' comparatively soft Wood. Toprevent this, I make use of aliningto the slot, made of sheetmetal-such,for instance, as brass or steelsuch metal being in theform of a stripbent up and joined at the ends and of a size to fit into the opening orslit in the ballot-box, and the width of the sheet-metal strip isgreater than the thickness of the Wood of the ballotbox, in order thatthe edges ofthe strip'of sheet-metal may project both above and belowthe surface of the box, and the sheet metal is notched at the angles andbent over, as shown at 2 and 3, to form flanges upon the top and bottomsurfaces of thelid of the ballot-box and around the opening therein. Bythis means a complete lining with fianges is provided for the slot inthe ballot-box, which not only prevents injury to the Wood, but it alsoallows for the removable cap being more lirmly securedat the slot, ashereinafter described, and it prevents a knife or other instrument beingthrust through the Wood of the box to give access to the locking deviceof the cap'.

The cap E is of a size to effectually cover the slot in the ballot-box,and it is preferably provided with a rim 4, projecting down into theslot, the cap itself being Wider than the slot to form ,overlappingflanges, as represented, and this cap is adapted to be moved so as togive access to the slot of the ballotbox for the insertionof ballots,and When the box isto be closed the cap is brought over the opening inthe box and secured by a spring locking device of any suitablecharacter. I find itadvantageous to make the cap E so that it is easilyremoved from the `ballot-box and can be kept in the pocket of theinspector or clerk, so as to be entirely outof the Way While theballot-box is in use, and With this object in view I provide upon theunder side of the cap E a hook or ingerpvhich is adapted to pass throughthe slot and hook under the cover at one end of the slot, and the springlocking device is applied at the other end of the cap, and this springlocking device is to be adapted to automatically engage with the underside of the cover and hold the cap in IOO position as soon as it isinserted into the slot ot' the boX.

I have represented in Figs. 2, 3, and 7 a latch 6, pivoted at 7 andprovided with a spring 8, and the hook is of such a length that when thecap is applied to the slot of the hallot-box the hook passes downthrough the slot and catches beneath the lower flange 3 of the metallining to the slot. Hence it is not. possible to remove the cap untilthe ballot-box has been unlocked and opened, so as to give access to thelatch 6, and by this means it is impossible to introduce any ballots orto abstract any from the box after the cap has been applied to the same.

' In Figs. 4 and 5 l have represented the spring locking device in theform of a button l0, actuated by a spring l1, and this button initsnormal position stands across the slot, and when the cap is to beapplied to the slot of the ballot-box such cap E is put in position withthe hook or inger 5 passing through the slot and beneath the lid, andthe button 10 is turned against the action of the spring, so as to be inline with the slot, and in this position the cap is pressed down toitsplace and the button passes through the slot, and by the spring itispartially rotated, so as to be turned transversely of the slot, and thebutton being longer than the Width of the slot the ends of the buttonengage the under side of the lid and efiectually prevent the cap beinglifted up or removed. A stop is provided at 17 to limit the movement ofthe button 10.

In Fig. 6 the latch 13 is fitted to slide hori- Zontally, and it isprojected by a spring 14 and may have an arm l5 at the back end, passingup Within the rim 4, so as to guide the same and also form a head to beseized by the lingers in drawing back the latch.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, With a ballot-box having aslot therein, of a removable cap adapted to cover the slot and having aiuger near one end to project down through the slot and hook beneath thecover and a spring-latch near the other end of the cover to pass downinto the slot and hold the cover, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a ballot-box having a slot therein, of acoverofa size to cover the slot in the ballot-box and provided with a riinfitting into the slot and preventing lateral motion of the cover and aspring locking device upon the cover to pass through the slot and engagethe inner surface of the ballot-box, substantially as set forth.

Signed by ine this 14th day of January, 1892.

CHARLES FRED l-IODSDON.

Witnesses Guo. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. Morr.

